Latching means for hose nozzle valves



NOV- 7, 1950 J. A. LOGAN ErAL 2,528,696 y LATCHING IEANS FORl HOSE NOZZLE VALVES Filed Sept. 7, 1949 closing position; and

Patented Nov. 7, 1950 2,528,696 LA'rcmNG MEANS Foa nosa NozzLE VALVES Joseph A. Logan, Hadley, and Eugene V. Lavallee,f v South Hadley Falls, Mass., assignors to Gilbert & Barker Manufacturing Company,

West

Sprlngeld, Mass., a corporation of Massachu setta Application September 7, 1949, Serial No. 114,326

4 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in hose nozzles, such for example, as are suitable for use on the end of thehose of a gasoline measurof a tank and as showninto-v the 'llf pipeshown ing and dispensing pump for directing the disv pensed gasoline into the i111 pipe of the fuel tank of an automobile.

The invention finds one advantageous use in connection with the gasoline pumps used at the so--called self-service stations, where the customer gets the gasoline lcheaper by handling the dispensing hose and nozzle and controlling the filling `of his own automobile fuel tank. 'I'he nozzle embodies the usual valve, which is spring-actuatedto closed position and which is opened by manually moving a pivoted lever toward the body of the nozzle. There is the danger that an inexperienced person, when grasping the nozzlebody, while carrying the nozzle to the `fuel tank, might inadvertently press on the valve lever and cause the valve to be opened before the nozzle is inserted in the flll pipe of the fuel tank, thus resulting in loss of gasoline and the creation of a lire hazard.

This invention has for an object the provision of means in' a hose nozzle of the type described for preventing the valve of the nozzle from being opened untill the spout of the nozzle has been inserted intoA the fill pipe of the fuel tank.

One illustrative example of the invention is shown in theA accompanying drawings, in

which:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of ahose nozzle embodying the invention; v

Fig. 2 is a fragment-ary cross sectional view taken on the line 2--2 of Fig. land showing the nozzle-valve-actuating lever latched in valve- Fig. 3 is a view, taken similarly to Fig. 2^but showing the nozzle-valve-actuating lever unlatched.

Referring to these drawings; the invention has been shown, by way of illustrative example, as embodied', in a hose nozzle of the type disclosed in the A. H. Davis, Jr. Patent .No. 2,320,033, granted May 25,- 1943. The invention is; however, capable of use in any other hose nozzle of the type, having a manually actuated lever for opening the nozzle valve and is not limited to details of the one nozzle construction shown herein for illustrative purposes.

The nozzle includes a'tubular body I havingat one end an inlet at 2, adapted for connection to the delivery end of the hose of a gasoline pump and a tubular spout 3 connected to its other .end and adapted for insertion into the filling opening in part at 4, of the fuel tank of an automobile. Within the nozzle bodyis afvalve 5fo r controlling the flow through the passage-through the tubular body and spout. This valve is moved by a spring 6 into the position shown to closeoi such passage and has a stem 5'-, which extends outwardly through a. suitable stuffing box `Ii in-position'to be actuated by a hand lever 1.l `The latter'is pivoted at 8 to a member 9,` carriedby the nozzle body. The usual guard I0, of channel-shaped cross section, extends from one endof the nozzle body to the other to protect the nozzle lever 'IJ from accidental movement. The `nozzle body has-an approximately cylindrical portion4 II', by which it is grasped by the hand of the operator, the `ngers extending beneath the outer portion of 1ever1 in readiness to draw the latter vtoward the part II to open the nozzle valve. The-nozzle, as-thus far described is of the usuali'and wellknown form which is in general use at gasollnevillling stations. The nozzle may also, and desirably has, the provisions shown in said patentor others for the purpose of automatically closing the nozzle valve when the fuel tank being. serviced has been sumciently filled. The member 9i's'the shiftable, fulcrum-carrying member of saidI patent.v These provisions would appear to be desirable at selfservice stations to prevent overflowing the tank when the nozzle is usedby untrainedf operators.

'Ihis invention provides -for restraining the opening of thenoz'zle valve-'5:5.untilftheaspout 3 of the nozzle has been ins'ertedin. the ll pipe. such as 4,L of the fuel tank.,` arm-I2,V fixed at one end to one end of afshaft I3, mounted in a bearing I4, providedpnfguard I0, `has at its other end a hook I5 adapted, when positioned as in Fig. 2, to overliethe valve-actuatopen the nozzle valve 5. The arm I2` and its hook I5 form a latch. Slid'ably rullini-ted)l on the nozzle spout 3 is a, collar I6,.which isfc'onnected by a link I1 to one endof 4ana'rmrl 8. This arm I8 is xed at its other end. tothe other end 0f lposite ends of bearing I4 andlimitlaxial movevspring acts through the collar I-'B,.,li nk I1, arm

la, and shaft lz Ato hold meist-cnam lz in therestraining position shown in Fig. 2. When the spout 3 is inserted in ll pipe 4, the collar I6 is forced upwardly on the spout 3, thereby causing shaft I3 to turn and swing the latch arm out of restraining position and into the position shown in Fig. 3, in which position the lever 1 is free to be drawn upwardly in the usual way to open the nozzle valve 5. The arm I2 is limited in its outward (counter clockwise as viewed in Figs. 2 and 3)' swinging movement by the abutment of a stop 2| (Fig. 3) with the underside of guard I0. When the spout 3 is withdrawn from ll pipe 4 after the fuel tank has been sunciently lled, the spring I9 will move collar I6 downwardly and cause the latch arm I2 to latch the lever 1 provided that the lever has4 been released by the operator, as it should have been, and allowed to move into the closed position shown. If the lever is not in its lowest position, the latch will engage the side of the lever and move inwardly when the lever is finally released. If the automatic shut-off provisions of said patent, or others for the same purpose, are used, as is desirable, the nozzle valve will automatically close even though the operator still holds the lever 1 drawn towardvthe handle portion II. The member 9 with the fulcrum 8 of the lever 1 is movable downwardly, according to said patent, to allow the valve to close and this will carry the fulcrummed end of lever 1 below the hook I5 of the latch arm l2 even though the outer and hand grip portion of lever 1 is held raised against the nozzle body.

The invention thus provides provisions for restraining opening of the nozzle valve until its spout has been inserted in the ll pipe of the fuel tank being serviced.

What is claimed is:

l. The combination in a hose nozzle having a passage therethrough terminating in a delivery spout adapted for insertion in the lling opening of a tank, a valve for controlling the flow through said passage, and manually operable mcans for moving the valve, of a latch preventing opening of the valve by said means, a member movably mounted on said spout and adapted to be engaged and moved by abutment with the wall of the filling opening when the delivery spout is inserted in such opening, and connections between said latch and member operable by such movement of said member to release the latch and enable opening of the valve by said means.

2. The combination in a hose nozzle having a passage therethrough terminating in a delivery spout adapted for insertion in the lling opening of a tank, a valve for controlling the flow through said passage, and a manually-operable lever for actuating the valve and movable from a position in which the valve is closed to various other positions in which the valve is opened to various degrees, of a latch engageable with said lever for holding it in the first-named position, a member mounted on said spout and adapted to be engaged and moved by abutment with the wall of said opening when the spout of the nozzle is inserted therein, and connections between said latch and member for moving the latch to release the lever by the movement of said member caused by insertion of the spout of the nozzle in said opening.

3. The combination in a hose nozzle having a passage therethrough terminating in a delivery spout adapted for insertion in the iilling opening of a tank, a valve for controlling the ow through said passage, and manually operable means for moving the valve, of a, latch preventing opening of the valve by said means, a member mounted on the exterior of said spout for limited movement back and forth, a spring for moving said member to and holding it at one end of its stroke, and connections between said latch and member whereby the movement of said member to said end of its stroke by said spring moves the latch into position to prevent opening of said valve, said member adapted to be engaged by the wall of the filling opening when the nozzle is inserted into said opening and moved by abutment with such wall against the force of said spring to the other end of its stroke to move said latch into position to enable vopening of said valve.

4. The combination in a hose nozzle having a passage therethrough terminating in a delivery spout adapted for insertion in the filling opening of a tank, a valve for controlling the ow through said passage, and a manually-operable lever for actuating the valve and movable from a position in which the valve is closed to various other positions in which the valve is opened to various degrees, of a'latch engageable with said lever for holding it in the first-named position, a member mounted onthe exterior of said spout for limited movement back and forth, a'spring for moving said member to and holding it at one end of its stroke, and connections between said latch and member whereby the movement of said member to said end of its stroke by said spring moves the latch into lever-latching position, said member adapted to be engaged by the wall of the lling opening, when the nozzle is inserted in such opening, and moved by abutment with said wall against the force of said spring to the other end of its stroke to move the latch into position to release said lever and enable it to be moved'to open said valve.

JOSEPH A. LOGAN.

EUGENE V. LAVALLEE.v

No references cited. 

